Do you have a pet hamster in your house? If you do, chances are you know that they can have rather strange habits. However, do you know that some hamsters can “play dead” and that pet hamster you buried all those years ago may not have been dead at all?
We all know hamsters are nocturnal animals so they are most active at nighttime, but did you know that apparently when hamsters are cold they hibernate and this hibernation of theirs can last any length of time.
Lisa Goodman a mother from the UK has warned parents to be cautious of their “dead” hamsters after she mistook her child’s hamster as dead when in fact it was just hibernating.
Fudge looking lifeless and stiff. (Lisa Goodwin Facebook)
Taking to Facebook she shared her experience for others who may find themselves in a similar situation. “Pet hamsters can go into hibernation mode if they get too cold. This can last a few days or even a week. Please don’t just assume your hamster is dead. Whilst in hibernation mode if you stroke or try to move your hamster, they will show small signs of life.”
Lisa had noticed her daughter Lillie’s hamster Fudge appeared to be dead as he was cold and stiff. “Fudge is my daughter Lillie’s hamster so I was just praying that he would wake up. I didn’t want to have to tell her he had died,” she says. Thankfully she realized he was just hibernating after a similar situation a few years ago when one of her hamsters came back to life as she was preparing to dispose of him.
Lisa and her daughter Lillie (Mercury Press)
“I didn’t know about it until a couple of years ago when I thought one of my hamsters had died but while I was saying my last goodbyes it started to show signs of life again as it had started to warm up,” she recalls.
Lisa only shared her findings as a warning for other people as it is not something everyone is familiar with. She never expected to get such a high volume of feedback both good and bad. Her post went viral and more than 62,000 people have commented on the post.
“I can’t believe how many people are actually commenting on the post. I think I have caused a bit of a panic, but that wasn’t the intention. I’m sure the people who have buried hamsters in the past have buried dead hamsters and not live ones as there are still small signs of life in the hibernating ones,” she says.
However, some people have criticized her for causing panic among others. “I have had a few people reach out to me and tell me that I’m wrong and making people panic over something that isn’t true. I don’t claim to be an expert I’m just speaking as an animal lover from my own personal experiences.”
Fudge happy after his hibernation. (Mercury Press)
In her Facebook post, Lisa offered some tips for people concerned with their hamsters. Keeping them in a warmer environment is key , as they are used to warmer climates. She advised “putting a hot water bottle under their bedding” and stroke them slowly to bring them back.
Do you have a similar hamster story; are you concerned you buried your hamster alive? Well, don’t be, as Lisa says, “A stiff hamster is a dead hamster. I’m sure you haven’t all buried alive your hamsters.” Hamsters in hibernation are more limp than stiff and normally by interacting with them, they begin to wake up.